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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28940592">Desperation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ria_Grey/pseuds/Ria_Grey'>Ria_Grey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:34:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28940592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ria_Grey/pseuds/Ria_Grey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As a strange power begins to attack Alex's body from the inside and he is torn between finding out what is happening to him and his developing feelings for his childhood best friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hank McCoy/Alex Summers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Desperation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alex sat at the desk in his room and stared out the window to Hank’s bedroom, his childhood best friend who lived next door. The two would collect bugs together, climb trees, the usual kid stuff. They grew apart as they aged. Alex was into sports and games while Hank became more of a bookworm. Still, in the quiet evenings, as he sat at his desk, staring out the window and into Hank’s room, he longed for the friendship that had long since dimmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a breath and sat up when he saw Hank walk in. He turned and someone came in after him and Alex narrowed his eyes as Armando stepped into view. Hank walked over to the window and spotted Alex watching them. He glanced back in at Armando before politely waving to Alex and closing the curtains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are they dating?” Alex asked out loud as he shook his head and grabbed his phone. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Are Armando and Hank a thing?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ he texted Sean and leaned back in his chair as he stared up at the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His phone beeped with a reply and he glanced down at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hank and Armando? Ha! You’re kidding, right?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex just sighed and tossed his phone onto his bed and made his way out to the bathroom where he shut and locked the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the water running he started to undress and paced the room a little when he felt something strange in his forearms. He looked down at them and frowned. The feeling was fleeting, though, and he just pulled a face as he stepped into the shower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After he’d washed and dried up, he wrapped his towel around his waist and went back down to his bedroom to change. He lifted his phone off his bed to check for messages, and as he looked up he saw Hank staring at him. Their eyes locked and Alex felt his cheeks start to blush, painfully aware that he was just wearing a towel, when he heard a knock on his door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex,” Scott said through the door, “Mom says I have to go to bed, will you read to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Alex glanced at the door and looked back up to see Hank quickly closing the curtains again and disappearing from view. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be right there, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex sighed and closed his own curtains to change.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>**********</b>
</p><p>
  <span>When Alex came back to his room again, he snatched his phone and dropped back onto his bed to idly scroll through the internet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a short while he received a message from Hank. He stared at the name for a few moments too long before he finally opened it up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hey, you wanna hang out tomorrow?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex sat up and stared at his window before sending a reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>We haven’t caught up in ages.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex just sighed and shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sure. Lunch?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex tossed the phone over to his desk and ignored it when he got another message. He got up and paced around a little and stopped to peek out the window again at Hank’s room, seeing the shadows of two figures moving about the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of a sudden the strange feeling came to his forearms again. He looked down and this time he saw red, glowing lines appearing like cracks in his skin, coupled with a searing, burning pain. He groaned and seethed as he dropped to his knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It only lasted a few moments but when it passed he was out of breath, totally drained. He was taking in deep breaths as residual pain rippled up his arms. Thick lines had been burned into his flesh, leaving the skin around them cracked and raw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He continued to seethe and groan for a few minutes until he closed his eyes and kicked his chair. “W-what the fuck was that?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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